I think there are multiple phases of a product. At one end, you have a startup still searching for product market fit. You shouldn't have a design systems team

I think there are multiple phases of a product. At one end, you have a startup still searching for product market fit. You shouldn't have a design systems team in such an organization. Consistency doesn't matter because you might only have one instance of many design elements. However, would you feel the same if you were using Kayak and each page had a separate set of components? How would it feel if Slack had different dropdowns on their direct messages page than their channels? At some point, your users expect standardization and consistency, and you don't need every team deciding their buttons will be slightly different sizes and colors because of the team designer's tastes. It really is a spectrum; as your product matures and your brand identity finds success, the advice of the article becomes more and more important.